Forever Sisters
by Gamma Orionis
Summary: Bellatrix, Andromeda and Narcissa discuss men, love and family on the eve of Bellatrix's marriage. One-shot.


Author's notes: I wrote this somewhat sappy story as a diversion from 19 Years Later, after spending a full day with the following rattling around in my head:

_Married in White, you have chosen right, Married in Grey, you will go far away, Married in Black, you will wish yourself back, Married in Red, you will wish yourself dead, Married in Green, ashamed to be seen, Married in Blue, you will always be true, Married in Pearl, you will live in a whirl, Married in Yellow, ashamed of your fellow, Married in Brown, you will live in the town, Married in Pink, you spirit will sink._

It seemed like the sort of tradition that the Blacks might have had in their family, without anyone really taking it too seriously.

This story is a little stream-of-consciousness, I warn you. Basically, it's just looking at Andromeda, Bellatrix and Narcissa as they were when young.

Don't own Harry Potter, never have, never will. Don't sue.

)O(

"What do you think?"

Bellatrix Black spun on the spot, showing off her wedding gown. Narcissa and Andromeda, sprawled on the couch in their pearly silver bridesmaid dresses, looked up at her.

Andromeda said, "Beautiful," without a second thought, but Narcissa was critical.

"You oughtn't get married in that," she said, indicating the rose silk. "You know how the rhyme goes–"

"Oh, not that again!" Bellatrix turned away from her sisters to admire herself in the mirror. "Honestly, Cissy, you don't really believe that nonsense, do you? Every first daughter in our family has married in some shade of pink, and–"

"And look how well that's turned out," Andromeda said dryly.

Bellatrix shot her a murderous glance, and she quickly added, "But I'm sure that it will be fine."

"Married in pink, your spirit will sink," Narcissa quoted.

"Oh, shut up, Cissy!"

"You'll be eating your words when I'm the only one with a good marriage."

"Narcissa!" Andromeda hit her sister on the shoulder. "Bella, don't worry. Everything will be fine."

"Well, when I get married, I shall wear blue, and my husband will wear white." Narcissa crossed her arms and slouched back on the couch. "That's the only proper way."

"Oh really?" Bellatrix whirled to face her sisters and planted her fists on her hips. "Andromeda, why don't you tell Narcissa what you told me you're planning to wear to _your_ wedding?"

Andromeda reddened. "Bella…"

"Go on, tell her!"

"Green," Andromeda said at last. "And my husband in gold."

Narcissa shrieked. "Green _and_ yellow? Ashamed to be seen _and_ ashamed of the fellow? Are you purposefully courting disaster? If that's the way you're going to dress at your wedding you might as well be marrying a Mudblood!"

"You don't mean that," Andromeda murmured.

"Don't I?"

"What is the matter with you, Cissy?" Bellatrix threw her hands in the air. "You're acting like you're not even happy I'm marrying Rodolphus!"

"Did it ever occur to you that maybe I'm not?" Tears were filling Narcissa's big pale eyes. "You're going off to get married, and then Andi will get married, and no one will ever want to marry me!"

"What?" Bellatrix dropped her arms and stared incredulously at her sister. "What are you on about?"

Narcissa sighed. "You're so pretty, and everyone likes Andromeda, but no one except you two will even talk to me. And once you're gone, I'll be left here to waste away!"

"Are you out of her mind?" Bellatrix stamped over to her youngest sister and shook her. "Do you know how many men are asking to marry you already? Mother had to talk Rodolphus into taking me! He wanted _you_! Lucius Malfoy's offered half a thousand galleons already! Or didn't Mother mention that?"

"_I'm_ the one who no one will want to marry," Andromeda said softly. "Anyone can see that you two are the sort that men want. I'll be lucky if any man ever looks my way."

"Oh for–" Bellatrix clutched her hair and rolled her eyes back in her head. "You two! Both of you will get husbands just as soon as Mother's married me off first."

She squinted at her sisters, and then a smile crawled across her face. "Oh, I see what this is! You two are jealous!"

"I am not!" Narcissa cried, leaping to her feet and raising a hand as though to strike.

"Neither am I!" protested Andromeda.

"Yes you are," Bellatrix insisted. "You're jealous because I get to go away from here, and you're jealous because you think I'll love Rodolphus more than you."

Narcissa broke down into sobs. She fell back on the couch, scrubbing her eyes with the back of her hand. Andromeda looked from one sister to the other, unsure, as she always was, which one to lend her support to.

"Well, I won't," Bellatrix said. "And you'd better get that through your head dead fast. Rodolphus isn't important. No man can ever be important enough to split us up."

"Really?" Narcissa peered up at her eldest sister through smeared eye makeup.

"Really."

"Not even our husbands?" Andromeda piped up.

"Or sons, when we have them?" sniffled Narcissa.

"No one. Not even the Dark Lord," Bellatrix finished. "We were sisters first, and we'll be sisters forever. Right?"

She put out her hand, and Narcissa laid hers in it.

"Sisters," she agreed.

They looked to Andromeda, who put her own hand over both of theirs.

"Forever," she said.


End file.
